The 2013 Mann Cup is in the books as they say, and what a splendid event it was. For the host, the Western Lacrosse Association and it’s representative the Victoria Shamrocks, the outcome was not what we had hoped for, but the real winners in this event, other than the obvious Six Nations Chiefs, were lacrosse fans. For the WLA, as a league, there were many positives to take away.

As the Commissioner of the Western Lacrosse Association, I would like to give a shoutout to those who worked behind the scenes, often with little or no recognition.

Prior to the 2013 season, one of the goals the WLA established was to increase and enhance fan engagement. Several steps were undertaken to achieve this goal, and I am very gratified with the progress that has been made. I’ll key on some of the major steps taken.

For the Mann Cup, a dedicated website was set up. This was in addition the the WLA’s regular website theboxrocks.com The goal was to make the added site the Number 1 information source for the event. The site went live a few days prior to the opening game, and, as of this writing, there has been in excess of 35,000 page views. In my estimation, a stunning achievement! The Social Media Director for the WLA, Carly Rigby co-ordinated information and contributions for the site, as well as maintaining the information flow on Twitter and Facebook. The success of the initiative wildly exceeded what we set out to do, as was evidenced by the number of viewers and the large amount of the information on the site that was used by media outlets and writers all over the country. Kudos to Carly for her vision, knowledge and commitment! Game Recap contributors Ross Manson and Patrick McMillan did outstanding work during the Mann Cup, as they did during the regular season and playoffs. Their recaps were informative and entertaining. We are indebted to Judy Teasdale andKevin Light for the photography provided to us during the series. Teddy Jenner and Stephen Stamp , both of whom write for IL Indoor, provided our readers with analysis and insight with their regular contributions and musings.

The WLA is in the second season of a partnership with Playfullscreen in providing lacrosse webcasts of WLA games and events. The Mann Cup webcasts were an enhanced version of regular season games, with improved replay capacity, shot clocks and in between period guests. Spearheading this initiative was Dave McIlroy, President of Playfullscreen. Providing the play by play for the series was Teddy Jenner. Color was provided in games 1-5 by Chris Hall, Head Coach of the Vancouver Stealth of the NLL, and in game 6 by KevinAlexander, an AC with the Stealth. In charge of the camera work was Bruce McIlroy. We commend our webcast crew for their outstanding work. Feed back and comments on their work have been very positive. We thank in between period guests, Stephen Stamp , Neil Doddridge, Paul Gait, KevinAlexander, MLA John Horgan, Duane Jacobs, Chris Welsh, Rick Lum, TedHiggins and Chuck Miller. In summation, our expectations were exceeded, as evidenced by the large amount of viewers and the great feedback received.

After a long and exciting series, MannCup2013 has drawn to a close. Lacrosse fans who were in Victoria, and those who watched our superb webcast production of the games, were treated to a series that was intense, highly entertaining and above all, showcased a level of play that was truly outstanding.

As Commissioner of the Western Lacrosse Association, along with Sohen Gill, as President of the BCLA and Assist. Commissioner of the WLA, we were Western Co-convenors of the Series. In that capacity, I would like to take this opportunity for some comments and to give recognition and express appreciation to some individuals.

To the Six Nations Chiefs, congratulations on reaching the pinnacle of Lacrosse in Canada – the Mann Cup Championship. The team was simply, marvelous. Congratulations also are in order to CodyJamieson for winning the Under Armour Mike Kelly Award as series MVP. To Six Nations General Manager Duane Jacobs and, to Head Coach Rich Kilgour, who I know and have come to admire in previous Mann Cup competitions, and his coaching staff, well done – my congratulations.

To the Victoria Shamrocks, in winning the WLA Championship and thus hosting the Mann Cup, at all levels, the organization did an incredible job, not only in the competition, but also the work in staging the Mann Cup. The hard work over the years, in establishing and maintaining connections and goodwill in the community, was integral to the success of the series. Jim Hartshorne- President, Chris Welsh-General Manager, and Paul German- Executive Director, headed a group of the people who worked incredibly hard and they were all instrumental in the success of the series. To Head Coach Bob Heyes, Assistant Coaches Art Webster, Jordan Sundher and Dave Lowden, a group that I liaised with on a per game basis, hats off to a great season and a splendid show in the Mann Cup.

To Chuck Miller, who brings 13 years of experience as the CLA Convenor of the Mann Cup, our appreciation for a job well done!

To Sohen Gill, whose experience and capacity for an incredible work load, congratulations on being the driving force in the logistics and arrangements which allowed the series to reach a high level of excellence.

To Referee-in-Chief, Rick Lum, who did a great job in coordinating the scheduling and work done by on floor officials Greg Pepper, Craig Baldridge, Andrew Corbould and Nick Thomas, all of the BCLOA, and Mark Gardonio of the OLA.

To Harold Corbett, our WLA Committee Chair, who headed the logistical operations in Victoria, which included a long list of necessary arrangements – well done!

To Paul German, Executive Director for the Shamrocks, who headed the considerable work in promoting and managing ticket sales. Each and every game was a sellout! Thanks to Paul and his group for work well done. Thanks also to the large amount of volunteers needed to make an event like the Mann Cup reach success.

To my counter-part, the Major Series Lacrosse Commissioner, Ted Higgins, a long-time friend and a true gentleman, it was great to work with him again. Ted was the liaison for the Six Nations Chiefs on all matters.

To our Sponsors, the Vancouver Stealth and to Under Armour, our appreciation, and we look forward to working together in the future. Best wishes to the Stealth for a great season. Our appreciation goes to Reg Midgely Motors for providing ground transportation.

To the BCLA, our thanks for the expertise and myriad of services and resources they provide. Also to the CLA, for the services in sanctioning the event.

To the many many fans who came to Bear Mountain Arena, our sincere thanks for your unwavering support of Canada’s National Summer Sport – Lacrosse.

In a follow up post I will be recognizing a group of people who worked extremely hard on the MannCup2013 Social Media, webcast production and fan engagement initiatives.

After a series of wild events in game 5 that were worthy of a TSN top 10 plays of the night, the Victoria Samrocks and Six Nations Chiefs would regroup for game six Friday night. With the Mann Cup on the line, the Shamrocks looked to even up the series and extend their season another night, while the visiting Chiefs were hoping to take home the hardware and win their first Mann Cup since 1996.

The Chiefs would open the scoring early on in the first with a power play marker from Kasey Beirnes, who would bury a quick shot from the middle past Matt Vinc at 1:46. Cody Jamieson would pick up his 11th goal of the series at 9:28, dodging around one defender and firing a shot top corner to the short side past Vinc to give his team the 2-0 lead. Cory Conway would put the Shamrocks faithful on their feet at 12:20, taking the drop pass from teammate Rhys Duch and ripping a shot to the top corner past Chiefs starter Brandon Miller who was back between the pipes for the Chiefs. Conway would put his team on his back in the first, notching his second consecutive goal of the game to even the score at 2′s at 17:40. After a tight first period, the two teams would head to their respective dressing rooms with the score locked at 2s and 40 minutes of lacrosse left to play.

The hometown Shamrocks would get out to a rough start in the second, as the defence would be slow to challenge a charging Stephen Keogh off the bench. Keogh would take the pass from swarmed teammate Jamieson and tee up a top corner shot with plenty of room past Vinc at 2:19. The Chiefs would make it a 4-2 game at 8:55 on the power play, as Beirnes would record his second of the game with a gorgeous crease dive goal, reaching around on Vinc to light the lamp. The Shamrocks’ Nolan Heavenor would get his team back on the board at 11:40 of the second, taking the pass down the far side of the floor and sliding a sub shot through the legs of Miller to close the Chiefs lead to one. Some great ball movement around the horn by the Shamrocks would lead to their fourth goal of the game, as captain Scott Ranger would free up at the point giving him the time and space to let loose a big top corner shot to even the score at 4s at 14:34. The Shamrocks would pick up their first lead of the game at 17:26, as Jeff Shattler would notch his first of the night on a turn and fire shot from the middle, giving his ‘Rocks a much needed boost with the score 5-4 heading into the final frame.

After a tentative first half to the third period, the Chiefs’ Beirnes would continue his hot streak on the night picking up his third of the game on a delayed penalty, firing a quick shot from the middle past the top right corner of Vinc to make it 5-5. With just under 5 minutes remaining, none other than Colin Doyle would put the Chiefs ahead by 1 with an inside rip marked for the top right corner. Just over 30 seconds later the Craig Point would get open in the front of the net and rip a huge marker for the Chiefs, all but securing the victory on the night. The Chiefs’ Jamieson would seal the deal at 18:08 adding to his outstanding series with a transition shot labeled for the top left corner to make it 8-5. After shutting out their Western opponents in the final 20 minutes of play, the Six Nations Chiefs would hold on to their 8-5 lead to win the 2013 Mann Cup.

Six Nations Chief Cody Jamieson would deservedly take home the Under Armour Mike Kelly Most Valuable Player award player after an unbelievable 29 point effort in six games. Congratulations go out to both teams on an outstanding regular season and playoff run.

As the Six Nations Chiefs tied the series 2-2 after last game’s fantastic showing from the red hot Brandon Miller and the Chiefs defence, the Victoria Shamrocks knew they had to get back to the basics offensively in order to solve the Chiefs. Cody Jamieson has been giving the ‘Rocks all that they can handle, and now with Stephen Keogh ramping up his play as of late, Six Nations is looking more, and more dangerous as this series progresses.

The Victoria Shamrocks kept with the steady hand in Matt Vinc in net after an excellent showing last game making a total 38 saves, and again Matt Flindell was in the wings. After getting pulled early in game 3, the Six Nations Chiefs have gone with Brandon Miller and haven’t looked back; the veteran goaltender made an impressive 47 saves last game and looked stellar in relief – of now back up, Evan Kirk – in game 3. With Blair Pinnock drawing out of the line-up for the ‘Rocks, rookie Adam Brown saw his first action of the 2013 Mann Cup as well as transition man Kory Kowalyk seeing the floor for the first time. The Six Nations Chiefs kept the same line-up as game 4, sticking with Tom Montour who found himself on the roster for the first time that night.

With the Shamrock faithful still buzzing from the very entertaining tussle between tough guys Tory Gardner and Rory Smith, and both players back on the floor, the table was set for game five. With a fairly even, back-and-forth start to game 5, both teams rattled a few shots off the junctions behind both goalies, however neither beat the iron. The Chiefs were continuing to get inside and create a disturbance for the Shamrock defenders as they have done all series while the Chiefs defenders were forcing the ‘Rocks shooters to keep around the perimeter. As he has done so often for his team, Cody Jamieson was the one to get the Chiefs on the board first; as he picked up a loose ball off the sideboards, ran like he was cutting across the dotted lines, planted his feet and fired it over about 3 screens. Matt Vinc never had a chance. The next goal wouldn’t come until the 14:06 mark, about 7 minutes later and on the power play as Rhys Duch took a cross-floor pass from Mitch Jones, and on a 2-on-1, he whipped it across to Jeff Shattler who had Miller at his mercy for the open netter. Karsen Leung wasn’t far behind as he scored off the following face-off from Dylan Evans to put the ‘Rocks up by 1. After Brandon Miller was beginning to look unbeatable, the Victoria Shamrocks were up by one early with all the momentum, but Kedoh Hill would make the ‘Rocks pay and even the score for Six Nations only a few minutes later. With the game beginning to even out again in terms of pace and chances, both teams were getting similar steps towards the goal, before Johnny Powless took a backhand feed from Colin Doyle in tight, and with a few fakes up high, he deposited it into the empty net behind Vinc to give the Chiefs a 3-2 lead with only 0:27 remaining in the period.

The second period saw the Chiefs starting to take a handle of the game with the Shamrocks barely keeping up as they were continuing to get in tight on the ‘Rocks and get a lot of chances in front of the Victoria crease. Vincwas still playing superbly and was giving his boys a chance to turn the tides in their favour and finish offensively, but Six Nations would just snatch any momentum the ‘Rocks would build away. Powless, who closed out the first period, would fire one in on Vinc to give the Chiefs a 4-2 lead. After a close call at the other end of the floor where Shamrocks sniper, Duchthought he had a sure goal, the ‘Rocks were slow getting out of the offensive zone and Jamieson streaked off the bench and after taking a pass from Jesse Gamble, he whipped one in to the bottom corner. With the table completely tilted towards to the Chiefs, Victoria needed a big goal to get themselves back in the game; and they would get that goal, and from such an unlikely source as Shamrock spark plug Tory Gardner who took a pass in tight from Duch and, cutting through the middle of the floor covered in defenders, bounced one in on Miller, beating him low. Only a few seconds later after the following face-off, Cory Conway would find his defender sleeping in the corner and, cutting towards the crease, he would take a beautiful pass from Scott Ranger and finish in the top right corner to get the Shamrock faithful back on their feet, now only down 5-4. But any signs of a comeback would be quickly shutdown by Chiefs gunner, Jamieson as he’s left with just enough room to get his hands free to fire a bullet past Vinc to make it 6-4 Chiefs. With the ball in the Six Nations Chiefs sticks in the final seconds of the period, Jamieson cut across the dotted lines at full speed, and just as he got to the other side of the floor, Doyle would pop out for a pass, take a step in and blast one in on Vinc with only one second remaining in the period. Score at the end of the second period, 7-4 Six Nations Chiefs.

The Six Nations Chiefs held the game in their hands, it seemed like the floor was tipped in their direction all game with every loose ball, every shot, every pick-and-roll and every save. The Victoria Shamrocks had to do something as Miller and the Chiefs defence were making it impossible for the ‘Rocks snipers to get any sort of breathing room. So, at the beginning of the third period the Victoria Shamrocks called the stellar goaltender on his equipment; the goalie, followed by a pair of players representing each team and an official, walked down the hallway to determine Miller’s fate in the remaining 20 minutes of the game. The Shamrocks exited the hallway victorious, slapping Brandon Miller with an illegal equipment minor penalty and a game misconduct. Undeterred, the Chiefs fought out of the shorthanded ‘opportunity’ thanks to the big body and soft hands of Stephen Keoghwho scored a beauty man-down goal on the penalty kill to give the Six Nations Chiefs some life again. After killing off the remaining time off the penalty and with Evan Kirk in between the iron in relief of Miller, Kedoh Hill would score a squeaker to give the Chiefs a 9-4 lead only 2 minutes into the third period. With no luck solving the new Chiefs goaltender, who the Shamrocks had chased out of net in game 3, the ‘Rocks figured they would try their luck with goalie number two. Victoria would again call the Chiefs goalie on illegal equipment and again be successful. With their starting goalie and relief expelled from the game, the Chiefs were left with no other option as to dress a player already on the roster. Colin Doyle would be the guy exiting the dressing room with a mix and match outfit of his teammates’ equipment. Thanks to a Powless minor penalty prior to the goalie ‘switch’, the Shamrocks were on a 5-on-3 power play. After saving his first shot on net, Mitch Jones had the goalie reaching across his crease as he took the one-timer pass from Conway to finally give the ‘Rocks some life. A few minutes later, Duch would unleash a bouncer on Doyle, going top corner into the mesh. The newly crowned goalie made a few key saves through the Shamrocks barrage of shots as he kept active in net, turning away most shots he faced. The Shamrocks would be rewarded again, just a few minutes after the last goal, as Shattler would take the pass on the wing and sling it in on Doyle, and with a huge fist pump to the Victoria fans, the ‘Rocks would feel the momentum as the Chiefs were only up 9-7. Once the tough Chiefs defence would tighten up and Doyle would settle into goal, they let Stephen Keogh do his thing; Keogh took the pass from Jamieson and like a battering ram would force his way in close and fire one on Vinc, this one another squeaker past the ‘Rocks goalie to possibly put a stop to the Chief’s slide. And of course who else, who score the exclamation mark but Keogh as he whipped a laser in on the Shamrock defence to give the Six Nations Chiefs a 11-7 lead. Keogh not only scored three in the game and most notably the two big goals at the end of the third period, but he also was their biggest penalty killer, giving the Chiefs defence any and all the rest they needed and most importantly giving Doyle a break in goal.

The final score of game 5 in Victoria was the Six Nations Chiefs 11, the Victoria Shamrocks 7. Game six goes Friday, September 13 at 7:00 as both teams get a well-deserved break on Thursday.

We have asked Ontario-based Stephen Stamp and B.C.-based Teddy Jenner, both of whom write for IL Indoor, to give us their thoughts on the series after games two and four.

Their thoughts are their own, and do not represent endorsement by MannCup2013. We present them to our readers.

Stamp:

If Brandon Miller keeps playing the way he has and the Chiefs win the series, he could well win the Mike Kelly award as Mann Cup MVP. How strange would it be to see a backup goalie step in and win that award for the second straight year after Mike Thompson did it for Peterborough in 2012?

Both teams have very impressive team defences. It’s hard to single out defensive players who are performing particularly well, but the defences have been the standouts in the series to this point, without question. If I had to pick the top performers on D for each team I’d go with a pair of Dans

—MacRae for Victoria and Coates for Six Nations—but you could easily argue for any of a number of other players on either team for that recognition. If you’re a fan of defensive lacrosse, this is a great series for you to be watching.

Since I called out the refs in my last column for this web site, I need to give them props after their performances in Games 3 and 4. They’ve been letting the players play but making the calls that need to be made. The result has been exactly what I’d been hoping for when I was writing about the officiating earlier — exciting, physical lacrosse that is a pleasure to watch. Well done, refs.

I hadn’t met Bob Heyes before this series but it is a treat to deal with him as a member of the media. He’s direct, straightforward and doesn’t pull any punches when dealing with us in post-game interviews. I also get the impression that whatever he’s telling us is exactly what he’s told his players. As a player, that’s a great thing from a coach. You want to know where you stand and what is expected of you and it’s much better to hear it directly from your coach than indirectly through the media.

What a great story the return of Tom Montour to the Six Nations lineup is. You can read my piece on the MSL web site for more detail, but the short form is that he sliced up a tendon in his wrist in the summer and Game 4 was his first return to action. He didn’t have a high-profile impact on the game but definitely helped to give the Chiefs offence more time to operate with his speed in the transition game. Montour is a 31-year-old veteran who still looks like he’s in his late teens and he’s got the enthusiasm to match his youthful appearance. He went to almost every Chiefs game all summer despite being out with the injury because, as he put it, they are a family and he wanted to be there to help any way he could. He was thrilled to be able to get back on the floor last night and contribute directly to the team’s success.

The fans always love a good tussle, and it was only a matter of time before Rory Smith and Tory Gardner squared off. Not a bad little scrap; probably whet many fans appetites for a repeat performance. Not sure it’ll happen, though. If the circumstances are right, they may go again, but the Six Nations coaches definitely want Smith on the floor rather than in the penalty box or the dressing room.

Plenty could change, but my thoughts on an All-Mann Cup team so far: Cody Jamieson, Jeff Shattler, Jesse Gamble, Dan Coates, Dan MacRae and Brandon Miller. I’d have to go with Jamieson, who won the Shooter Davis award as MSL playoffs MVP, as the most valuable player of this series so far.

Jenner:

What was once a best of seven series, became a best of five, and now heading into tonight’s game 5, the Six Nations Chiefs and Victoria Shamrocks are in a best of three fight up to the end of the 2013 Mann Cup.

These two teams are putting on some clinical lacrosse at times, allowing everyone an opportunity to enjoy the fastest game on two feet. With the first two games being toss ups, games three and four saw the teams once again divvy up the wins, as each flexed their muscles in this battle.

On the webcast during game four colour-man Chris Hall made the comment that Brandon Miller’s play in the Six Nations net has a very similar feel to when Mikey Thompson came in to the Peterborough net last year in the Mann Cup, down 2 games to none, he rallied the team to four straight wins and a Mike Kelly Award.

Since stepping in for Evan Kirk with three minutes to go in the first period of game three, Miller has only given up six goals on 81 shots, allowing the the Chiefs to regain some momentum in this series.

Victoria was lucky to win game one, then they were unlucky to lose game two, but in game three they showed the home fans the sort of lacrosse they witnessed in the WLA finals series. A six goal outburst in the first 20 minutes was the most any team had scored in one period, and wasn’t something anyone was really expecting after the first two games.

But that’s when Miller stepped in and he seems to be playing like a man on a mission as the rest of the Chiefs have hopped on his back. Since that opening first period on Monday night, the Six Nations defence has upped their game and is making things even tougher for the Victoria Shamrocks offence to get anywhere near Miller for a quality opportunity.

One glaring difference between the two attacks is that the Chiefs run AT the defence of the Shamrocks, constantly putting the Rocks D on their back feet. Victoria’s offence is based from their transition game, but once it’s in a five on five set, the ball slows down, allowing the Chiefs defence to lock in and punish. Rocks HC Bob Heyes mad the comment early in the series that his team was going to have to have the mind-set to want to get to the front of the net, cut through the middle and continue to take the punishment.

Wave after wave of players on both teams are taking a beating this series as the defenders up their pressure. Chiefs leading scorer Cody Jamieson said he’d never seen a defensive unit like Victoria’s, commenting that they pack the middle, so that working the two-man game is tougher, as getting passes inside are much more difficult. Apparently he’s not seeing what the rest of us are, and that’s his ability to dominate a game.

“Cody does that more times than I can count and it’s unreal to see him rattle off a few to start the game and get us rolling,” a smiling Rich Kilgour commented after Jamieson’s game four performance. The MSL play-off MVP is second in Mann Cup scoring to Jeff Shattler of the Rocks, who’s quietly putting together an equally impressive cup run with back to back six point nights in games two and three.

Shattler, the WLA play-off MVP can also take over a game with his speed and craftiness on the floor, and has the back-up fire power to do it. However if Victoria is going to get back in this series, they need their captain, Scott Ranger to do what he does best.

Ranger is one of best professionals in the game of lacrosse, and he is definitely leading his Victoria Shamrocks, but the two time WLA scoring leader is having his struggles in his first Mann Cup. With just two points in four games, there would not be a better game for Ranger to breakout than tonight. And you know that just like everyone else on the floor, Ranger knows he can do it.

Victoria won’t panic nor, will Six Nations get to confident heading into one of the most critical games of the series, as the winner will have the first chance to seal the deal. A chance at hoisting the 2013 Mann Cup and laying claim to the the title of the best team in Canada.

The fourth game of the 2013 Mann Cup got going Tuesday evening with the hometown Victoria Shamrocks leading the seven game series two games to one over the Ontario champion Six Nation Chiefs. The visiting Chiefs would look to regain some of their dominance from game two and even the series, while the Shamrocks looked to take a stranglehold with a two game lead.

After a relatively quiet opening five minutes Rhys Duch would tickle the twine for the games first goal at 6:14. Duch made a nice inside move on his defender, sliding past and firing a quick blast by the Chiefs starting net minder, Brandon Miller. The Chiefs Cody Jamieson would answer back at 10:31, letting loose one of his patented twister shots just above the dotted line to make it a 1-1 game. Jamieson would pick up his second consecutive goal of the game at 14:44, cutting across the top and past two defenders to snipe a shot low past the right leg of Shamrocks’ starting keeper Matt Vinc. The Shamrocks’ Jeff Shattler would even the score at 2s at 17:06, firing a perfect bounce to the far corner past a sprawling Miller coming the other way. Despite the tie on the scoreboard, the Chiefs had the stronger period with the shots total after twenty minutes of play 20-11 in favour of the Chiefs.

Six Nations would get a big penalty kill early on in the second and none other than Cody Jamieson would come back at the other end and rip a pin point shot short side just above the glove of Vinc to restore his team’s one goal lead. Chiefs veteran and fourth overall in all-time Mann Cup scoring Colin Doyle would give his team a two goal cushion on a power play point shot blast at 6:39. After some tight back and fourth action at both ends, the Chiefs would take a three goal lead on a fast break breakaway with Colin Boucher notching his first of the Mann Cup at 16:01. With 21 seconds remaining the Shamrocks’ second period struggles would continue, as a sloppy line change would lead to a too many men penalty for the ‘Rocks. The Chiefs would hold on to their 3 goal lead heading in to the third period, with the Shamrocks needing a repeat of the now absent Jesse King‘s effort in the final frame to have a chance.

The Shamrocks would come out of the gate inspired in the third, putting a couple quick shots on net early, though Miller would be equal to the task. Just under two minutes in, the Shamrocks’ Tyler Hass would come charging in on a breakaway and a last second push from the Chiefs defender would send a flying Hass, stick out, into the goaltender Miller. The seemingly incidental contact by Hass resulted in a huge five minute high sticking and game misconduct call, putting the Shamrocks down a key transition player in Hass. Despite the unlucky call, the Shamrocks’ Jon Harnett would come bursting in past the defense, short handed, and slide a shot to the bottom corner by Miller to pull the ‘Rocks within two. The Chiefs’ Stephen Keogh would quiet the roaring crowd moments later on the power play with a great one time shot past Vinc to restore the Chief’s three goal lead. Keogh would bury his second of the 5-minute power play moments later, dancing inside past two defenders and faking high and firing a bounce shot past Vinc to give the Chiefs their biggest lead of the night at 7-3. The Chiefs game two breakout player Alex Kedoh Hill would put the icing on the cake with just over five minutes left, notching his first of the game giving the Chiefs an 8-3 lead. With the outcome basically decided, the teams’ two heavyweights Tory Gardner of the Shamrocks and Rory Smith of the Chiefs would square off for an intense tilt that would see both opponents get in some shots, though Smith would appear to take the decision.

The Chiefs would come out on top with the 8-3 victory on Tuesday night, evening the best of seven series at two games apiece. Game five goes tomorrow night at Bear Mountain Arena at 7:00pm.

Ted Jenner, is a B.C. based writer for IL Indoor. In addition, he is the play by play announcer for the Mann Cup webcast production. His comments are his thoughts, and the printing thereof on this site do not constitute an endorsement.

Teddy’s comments:

Shut up and Cheer

The point of the Mann Cup in any year is to showcase the two best teams in Canadian lacrosse. Give the teams and the fans a chance to celebrate their sports’ champions.

So far in 2013 both the Victoria Shamrocks and Six Nations Chiefs are putting on an unbelievable show and the fans, for the most part, are eating it up. Through three games of the best of seven series, the Shamrocks hold a 2-1 lead heading into Tuesday’s pivotal game three.

Sadly though, there are some ugly undertones beginning to form off the floor and it started during game two with a group of fans cheering their team on. It seems rather trivial, but it has started a chain of events that has people talking – and not in a good way. It turns out some fans, rather than eating up the action on the floor are more interested in serving up controversy in the stands.

As everyone knows, the game of lacrosse has roots hundreds of years deep in the First Nations culture. A culture that is a great part of this country we call Canada. It is something most lacrosse players have a deep respect for but, sadly, not everyone appears to share that respect.

During game two of the series, the Six Nations Chiefs had a much more boisterous fan base and along with them came the traditional drums. It is of note that for thirty plus years, Skip Dick has been a Victoria Shamrock fan and with every game he attends, along comes his drum, which the fans love to get behind and cheer along with.

At the game on Saturday night, some Victoria fans voiced their displeasure, going so far as to ask for their money back and they even threatened to call police due to what they were calling excessive noise. I’m pretty sure that sporting events are not the ballet or conducted in the library, so noise – loud enthusiastic supportive noise - is not only allowed but encouraged.

One of the best parts of going to a live sporting event, other than the action on the floor, is the atmosphere inside the arena. So to complain about noise from a few fans banging their drums is, in my opinion, completely off-side. This issue spilled over into game three Monday night as there was talk of Bear Mountain Arena staff actually banning the drums and the CLA asking the Shamrocks music man to tone down the volume. In a quote from the Times Colonist today, the CLA wanted the Mann Cup to be a “neutral event” and be non-partisan to either side. What?!

The Shamrocks won the right to host the Mann Cup and therefore the right to make as much noise as they want. The Chiefs, for their part, won the right to represent the Major Series Lacrosse League, and with that comes the right to have their fans in the arena supporting them just as loudly.

But as trivial as all that sounds, game three took an even uglier turn. While the drums were out in full force, the Shamrock fans were equally as loud. after it all seemed to be said and done, a post game tweet from Chiefs’ forward Cody Jamieson shocked and saddened many Victorians and lacrosse fans everywhere. Jamieson’s tweet states that while on the floor and the bench, he and his teammates were the victims of racial slurs from the crowd in attendance. It’s a sad day in 2013 to have to report that my beloved Shamrock fans would use hate-filled and racist language during what is supposed to be a fun family event.

As a former Shamrock and long time Victoria native, I realize the actions of a few do not condemn an entire city, but when racial slurs, derogatory comments and spitting on players come into play, it doesn’t look good for anyone. And, what kind of message are you sending to young sports players and fans about conduct and sportsmanship, let alone humanity.

Victoria fans are passionate and loyal to the green and white, but there’s no place for racism in the twenty-first century let alone in sports.

Finger pointing and a he-said she-said mentality will get us nowhere as a society. The point of the Mann Cup is to crown a champion of Canada, and that battle should be fought for on the floor and not in the stands.

With the 2013 Mann Cup two games in and with the Six Nations Chiefs tying the series Saturday night, both teams know exactly how big the next one is; The Victoria Shamrocks came close in game 2 losing in only the last three and a half minutes of the game to Chiefs sniper, Cody Jamieson on a beauty twister to the right side for the game winner. Both teams took a day off to recharge and refocus on the task at hand, one game at a time.

Matt Vinc was given the starting duties again for the Victoria Shamrocks with Matt Flindell taking relief duty, while the Six Nations Chiefs keep the hot hand of Evan Kirk going in between the pipes with Brandon Miller backing up. With a lot of talk still circling around the incredible night from youngster, and junior ‘A’ call up, Jesse King; both teams had to adapt. However, with his collegiate career calling back for him, King was left watching at home in Columbus, Ohio. Instead, Blair Pinnock draws in on the left side, and veteran Derek Lowe sees his first action of the 2013 Mann Cup. On the other side, the Six Nations Chiefs continue with the same roster that got them the win on Saturday night, and look to carry on with their impressive play.

The Victoria Shamrocks have trailed early every game so far of the 2013 Mann Cup, playing catch up throughout the first period. However, this time is different, and maybe a little foreshadowing of things to come. A different kind of pace started this game, more free flowing where teams were taking chances on the run and shooting with a lot more purpose than previous games. The ‘Rocks broke the goose egg first for the first time this series thanks to a beautiful pass from the left side of the floor from Shamrocks captain, Scott Ranger to an unmanned Jeff Shattler on the door step of the Six Nations crease. Shattler simply one touched it into the back of the net to give the Shamrocks a 1-0 lead. Cory Conway wasn’t far behind, sniping one from the outside to the top right corner, blasting the ball past Chiefs’ net-minder Kirk. Putting a stop the rolling Shamrocks, Kasey Beirnes stepped into one just on the dotted line thanks to a messy change from the Shamrocks. As he took a pass from Colin Doyle, he ran in and planted his feet and ripped it to the top right corner, 2-1 Shamrocks. With the play starting to settle in, both teams systematically running their offences trying to expose any kink in the armour of the rallying defences on both sides of the floor, but it was Conway who finally breaks the ice again for the Shamrocks, with another one of his patented outside lasers, this one straight to the same spot behind Kirk. The ‘Rocks really laying it on now as rookie Mitch Jones records a beauty as he sets a back pick on a Chiefs defender, rolls to the inside and as he cuts through the middle, he takes the pass from Rhys Duch and fires it over his shoulder, bouncing it just around the feet of Kirk to give Victoria a 4-1 lead. With the Victoria Shamrocks in full control, Rory Smith would take a high-sticking penalty which would eventually lead to Cory Conway recording his third of the game and completing his hatrick blasting one from the point to the top corner, again. The Six Nations Chiefs finally decided to stop the bleeding and put in veteran Brandon Miller replacing Evan Kirk in goal. However, the first shot that Miller would see would go straight to the back of the net as ‘Rocks speedster, Karsen Leung ran down the right side of the floor, and on the run, ripped one far side between Miller’s hip and shoulder to close out the first period giving the Shamrocks a 6-1 lead.

The Chiefs were going to have to battle back and put up a lot of goals to get back to a position to win, however with 40 minutes before the end of the game, it was in the realm of possibility. The Chiefs were first to strike in the second frame as Stephen Keogh took the pass in transition from Jesse Gamble, and stepped into a side arm rip, using his defender as a screen to give the Chiefs some life only 58 seconds in. The second period was much like the first with both teams chipping away at the opposition’s defence. With a few good chances at either end, relief goaltender Miller played very well as he kept the Chiefs out of disaster mode playing huge as he turned away everything he saw, until the final minute of play where Shattler finally pierced the armour as he ripped one past the Chiefs goalie to finish out the second period with a score of 7-2 for the Victoria Shamrocks.

With the Chiefs buzzing thanks to the play of Brandon Miller, momentum was starting to build for Six Nations, however the third period started with a barrage of shots from the Victoria Shamrocks as Scott Ranger had some very close calls in close on the Chief’s crease but couldn’t get one by the Six Nations wall. Finally, Ranger records his first goal of the 2013 Mann Cup after a nifty move behind the net to lose his defender and then cut across the crease and fake once, twice and put it near side past Miller to bring the score to 8-2 for the Shamrocks. After a slashing penalty from Lowe, the Six Nations Chiefs were given the chance to regain their momentum and start rolling again, and as Cody Jamieson has done so well for the Chiefs during the Mann Cup, he snipes one near side to give the Chiefs some life. Roger Vyse then scores a beauty as he bum-rushed the Shamrock defence forcing Dan MacRae to grab hold of Vyse bringing him to the ground, but then Vyse had the presence of mind to chip one in low on Vinc, an absolute beauty from the Six Nations sniper. Keogh wasn’t far behind as he dropped the muscle on his defender and forced his way into a scoring position lifting his stick high in the air to reach over the Shamrock net-minder. Now down by only three, the Chiefs had all the momentum heading into a huge 5 vs. 3 power play thanks to a couple undisciplined penalties from the Shamrocks defence, but a massive penalty kill from the Victoria Shamrocks defence including Vinc, the ‘Rocks were able to come out still up by three and closing in on the final minute of play. The Chiefs weren’t done yet though, as Doyle came up the side boards, and with their goalie pulled for the extra attacker, he whipped a pass to Beirnes for the easy one timer goal, with 56 seconds remaining.

The Victoria Shamrocks would hold on for the 8-6 win to take an important 2-1 series lead in the 2013 Mann Cup. Game four goes tomorrow: 7:00 at Bear Mountain Arena. The Six Nations Chiefs look to tie up the series again while the Victoria Shamrocks look to take a huge 3-1 series lead.